Former Pipe Masters winner Jamie O'Brien is a well-credentialled threat to Mick Fanning's dream of a fourth world surfing title.
The Australian world No.1 has drawn O'Brien in the sudden-death third round at the Masters, on Hawaii's North Shore.
O'Brien grew up near the Banzai Pipeline and won the Masters in 2004.
The 32-year-old local qualified for this year's event by finishing runner-up behind young Australian Jack Robinson earlier this week at the Pipe Invitational.
Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater, who will also compete in the third round, said the heat is on Fanning.
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Along with O'Brien's strong local form, Fanning has never won the Pipe Masters.
"Heading here everything looked like it was going Mick's way, but now it looks like all the pressure is on (him)," the American legend said.
"He's drawn Jamie, who a lot of people regard as maybe the best guy out here going backside or frontside, so he's probably caught more waves out here than anyone in the last 10 years.
"Mick's got his work cut out for him, but he's a three-time world champ for a reason."
Fanning leads a tight race for the world title, which will be decided at the Pipe Masters.
Brazilian trio Filipe Toledo, Adriano de Souza, Gabriel Medina and Australian Julian Wilson are the other contenders.
Robinson nearly reduced that field to four on Saturday (AEDT) in his round-two heat.
Robinson failed by just .67 of a point to upset de Souza, the world No.3.
Wilson is seventh on the rankings and is the defending Pipe champion.
He kept his slim world title hopes alive with a convincing 12.83 to 6.00 win over compatriot Wade Carmichael.
Toledo, the world No.2, opened the second round with a win over Hawaiian Bruce Irons.
Fanning and Medina, the reigning world champion and world No.4, bypassed round two because they won their round-one heats.
Slater was also a round-one winner.
Former world champion Joel Parkinson, Taj Burrow, Adam Melling and Adrian Buchan joined Wilson as Australian winners in round two.
But Matt Wilkinson, who lost to Melling, also bowed out of the event with his round-two loss.
The third round will feature three more all-Australian heats - Wilson against Melling, Parkinson taking on Kai Otton and Josh Kerr versus Buchan.
Burrow will surf against Hawaiian John John Florence and Bede Durbidge has drawn Keanu Asing, also from Hawaii.
